Rusydan gets 3 years for hiding bomber

Rusydan gets 3 years for hiding bomber

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The South Jakarta District Court sentenced on Wednesday the
acting leader of regional terrorist network Jamaah Islamiyah (JI)
to three years and six months in prison for harboring one of the
perpetrators of the Bali bombings. The verdict was lighter than
the prosecutors' demand of nine years.

The panel of judges found defendant Abu Rusydan guilty of
concealing information on the planned terrorist attacks in Bali
that occurred on Oct. 12, 2002. The blasts -- the second worst
after the World Trade Center attack in New York on Sept. 11, 2001
-- killed 202 people, mostly foreigners.

"The defendant is guilty of withholding information on
terrorist activities in violation of Article 13c of Regulation in
Lieu of Law No. 1/2002 on antiterrorism," presiding judge Mahmud
Rahimi said in his verdict.

Defense lawyers will appeal the verdict.

Rusydan condemned the verdict, saying it was arbitrary. "God
will punish those who have prosecuted me." His supporters,
however, chanted Allahu Akbar (God is Great) to welcome the
verdict.

The sentence is retroactive and will be calculated from the
time Rusydan has spent in detention since Aug. 30, 2003.

In the indictment, Rusydan was said to know Ali Gufron alias
Mukhlas as one of the Bali bombers and failed to inform the
police of Gufron's whereabouts.

Rusydan was also said to have attended a series of meetings,
attended by Gufron, which took place after the Bali blasts.
Gufron was sentenced to death by the Denpasar District Court for
planning the attack.

Defense lawyers repeatedly demanded that the court acquit
Rusydan of all charges. They argued Rusydan could not be
prosecuted for harboring one of the Bali bombers as he met Gufron
before the latter was declared a suspect in the Bali blast case.